Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said Tunku was also a beloved statesman and a visionary democratic leader with a clear direction in forming Malaysia as a constitutional democratic state.

“Tunku, as a politician who read law in England, had successfully united the people of various races in the country after attaining independence from the British, but Tunku himself had stated that he wanted to be the happiest prime minister in the world… what Tunku meant was to ensure all Malaysians are happy and live in peace,” he said.

Tengku Razaleigh said this when speaking at a lecture entitled, “Visi Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bapa Malaysia untuk Keamanan dan Kemakmuran” (Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Vision: Father of Peace and Prosperity), organised by the Majilis Perundingan Muhibbah Negeri Pulau Pinang (MPMNPP), in collaboration with the National Archives and Think City at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial here yesterday.

Also present were MPMNPP chairman Mohd Yussof Latiff and National Archives director-general Azemi Abdul Aziz.

Tengku Razaleigh said Tunku’s leadership style had always prioritised the people. For example, he did not like war and resolved issues at the negotiating table, among them negotiations with Chin Peng, Communist Party of Malaya (PKM) leader in Baling, Kedah in 1955, before Malaysia achieved independence.

“Although the negotiations between Tunku and Chin Peng failed, Tunku won the hearts and minds of the people and received strong support from the people and it motivated him to negotiate with the British for the country’s independence,” he said.

His success in leading the country and ensuring Malaysia was safe and secure was also proven when it defeated the “Ganyang Malaysia” movement, the confrontation threat mobilised by Indonesia at that time, said Tengku Razaleigh.

After the end of Emergency was declared in 1960, Tunku concentrated on the country’s economic development, including rural development in efforts to eradicate poverty.

“Malaysia in the 1960s was one of the poorest countries in the Third World, but Tunku’s persistence in raising the yields of rubber and mining and other natural resources resulted in the country’s economic prosperity.

“In honour of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the government should immortalise his name by establishing a think tank carrying his name in conducting studies on politics and national issues, as well as an institution to be called Tunku Abdul Rahman School of Politics and International Studies,” he added.